Yes, you read the title correctly – we’re exploring the world of sweet potato latte. As I hold sweet potatoes in only a slightly higher regard to chestnuts and cinnamon (if you recall my chestnut espresso frappe and iced chai latte posts, I’ve never had a soft spot for chestnuts and cinnamon), this was going to be a fascinating experience for me.

After coming across this intriguing and rather charming latte, I soon learnt that sweet potato latte (or Goguma latte) originates from the South Korean café scene. It’s very popular and on vogue there, so much so that sweet potato drinks made it to their local limited-period Starbucks menu. I further discovered that sweet potatoes are well-loved in Korea, and this latte is a testament of their fondness of the veggie. I found the sweet potato latte at Coffeesmith in Singapore, a Korean-based café chain with several locations here. Apart from its gorgeous violet/lavender color (which is one of my favorite colors), the thought of trying a root veggie in a latte form was very tempting. And it would be a fun taste of Seoul in Singapore!

My latte had a soft purple color which somehow reminded me of flowers. I noticed little darker purple bits in the cup while taking pictures. I bet they’re from the sweet potato latte mix, and those bits somewhat reminds me of sweet Rice Krispies. Sweet potato lattes aren’t supposed to have those additional bits, but it wasn’t bad.

The latte itself didn’t have an incredibly strong sweet potato flavor to it, which was surprising as I was expecting a punch of sweet potato. Instead, it was a sweet, lightly earthy (in a pleasant way) and milky drink with a mild sweet potato flavor.

It turns out that sweet potato latte recipes vary – some are milkier with both sweet potatoes and sugar contributing to a balanced sweetness, while others are heavy on the sweet potato flavor. It depends on your preference, really. I liked mine as I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed an overpowering sweet potato flavor.

Here’s the best part: sweet potato latte is said to be a healthier alternative to a regular latte, thanks to the humble sweet potato’s superfood status. Sweet potatoes are packed with vitamins and antioxidants, so it’s a winner in the health category!

Its basic ingredients include sweet potato (of course!), sugar, milk, and ground cinnamon and coffee at times. Mine didn’t have any coffee and cinnamon in it – and I’m glad it didn’t as the sweet potato’s sweet flavor harmoniously blended into the milk.

There are two primary variations of the sweet potato latte, as it depends on the type of sweet potato used, namely purple and orange sweet potatoes. From the purple hue, my latte is a purple sweet potato latte. All in all, I had a good time trying this latte! Now, I can finally tick it off my lists of extraordinary and gorgeous drinks to try.